During recent years, interest in recycling of household waste has steadily increased. This interest has been fueled by increasing problems of solid waste removal and disposal. Communities have looked to recycling to handle their garbage as old landfills become full and new landfills are not built. In addition, recycling saves energy and raw materials, thereby helping to preserve the environment.
The most commonly recycled household materials are glass, aluminum, metals, plastics and paper. Many municipalities either encourage or require the removal of these materials from the waste stream. However it is also necessary to separate these materials according to the type of recyclable material. Glass, paper, plastics, and metals must all normally be separated from one another. This separation step is necessary to allow for efficient processing of the recycled materials, and materials which are not separated are often refused for recycling.
Previously, most parties involved in recycling have used separate containers for sorting and storing each type of recyclable material. For example, one container is typically used for glass, one container is typically used for metals, and one container is typically used for paper. Unfortunately, use of separate containers requires substantial space, and is thus impractical and inconvenient for many people and businesses. The use of multiple containers also requires making multiple trips to set out the recyclables for pickup, unless all of the containers can somehow be carried in one trip. Additionally, it can be expensive to purchase numerous containers.
Efforts have been made to address this problem, but they have been largely ineffective. For example, stackable bins have been introduced as a way to separate recyclables without occupying extensive floor space. However these bins have the shortcoming of limited storage space and require a front or top opening, which often reduces the volume of recyclables each bin can store. Also, the bins are awkward to carry in groups to a recyclable pickup location, such as an alley or at the end of a driveway, because they are stacked and unstable. Other efforts have also been made to create separate containers for recyclable materials, but these efforts also have shortcomings. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,713 to Greathouse, et al, involves modifying the top of a garbage can to hold a plurality of garbage bags. However, the Greathouse design is awkward to use because it requires constant replacement of garbage bags. It is also prone to failure since the recyclables can become intermixed if the bags slip from their holders.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved recyclables container into which a plurality of separated recyclable articles may be placed.